davidson



(No Model.)

A. C. 8; S. DAVIDSON & G. A. BARBER.

BABY WALKER. v v

Patented July 15, 1890.

Mel Lions UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicE.

ANDREW C. DAVIDSON, SAMUEL DAVIDSON, AND GEORGE A. BARBER, OE TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA.

BABY-WALKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 432,378, dated July 15, 1890.

Application filed December 5, 1889, Serial No. 332,679- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, ANDREW CHARLES DAVIDSON, mechanic; SAMUEL DAVIDSON, mechauic, and GEORGE ATCHESON BARBER, musician, all of the city of Toronto, in the county of York, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented a certain new and Improved Device for Supporting Children While Learning to \Valk, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the invention is to design a simple device by which the major portion of the weight of a child is supported Without interfering with the free walking movement of its legs; and it consists, essentially, of a ring designed to encircle the body of the child and supported on friction-rollers arranged in an angularly-recessed plate supported on uprights extending from a base carried by casters, suitable straps for assisting in supporting the weight of the. child being provided, and ingenious attachments being adapted to enable the device to be arranged as a support for a childs chair, the whole being arranged and constructed substantially as hereinafter more particularly explained.

Figure 1 is a perspective view, partially broken away to show one of the anti-friction rollers which support the ring; Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail of the ring in which the body of the child is placed.

A is a base, which we preferably make in the form of a ring, and support by means of the casters B.

C represents a series of uprights extending from the base A and forming a support for the plate D,which has an annular recess and hole made in it. \Ve prefer to make the uprights C in such a manner that their lengths may be increased or decreased in order that the height of the plate D may be raised or lowered to suit the height of the child. To accomplish this we divide each of the uprights C and connect. their ends together by a nut E, swivel-jointed on one of the parts and screwed upon the other part of each of the uprights C.

F is a ring, preferably divided, as indicated in Fig. 2, the two parts being hinged together and provided with a suitable fastening. By dividing the ring F as indicated in Fig. 2 it can be readily opened and clasped around the body of the child, which may then be lifted up and dropped through the annular hole in the plate D, the ringE fitting into the annular recess made in the said plate D and resting upon the anti-friction rollers G, arranged in the bottom of the said recess.

By supporting the ring F on anti-friction rollers G in the manner indicated the child placed in the device is enabled to turn around without being obliged to revolve the entire machine.

By making the ring F detachable, as described, not only is the free movement mentioned secured, but we are enabled to pro- Vide our machine with several rings adapted to fit different-sized children.

In order to holdthe child in the machine and also to assist in supporting his weight, we provide a strap ll, connected at its ends to the bottom of the ring F, and designed to extend down around the seat of the child,

suitable buckles I being furnished to adjust the length of the loop formed by the said strap. A belt J, designed to encircle the body of the child, is connected to the strap H which belt not only holds the child in position, but assists in supporting his weight. \Vhen the child is placed in the center of the plate D, the strap H is adjusted, so that it and the belt shall support the greater portion of the weight of the child, leaving sufficient weight to keep its feet on the floor. By this arrangement the child is enabled to move about without any effort, the casters B permitting the machine to be pushed about with the least possible effort.

A supporting device such as we have described may be used as a stand for carrying a chair. In a case of this kind the chair will be simply provided with a base-plate designed to fit into the annular recess formed in the top of the plate D. Other attachments may be readily placed on the supporting device described.

justalvle strap II and belt J, arranged sub stantially as and for the purpose specified.

Toronto, November I 1889.

A. C. DAVIDSON. SAMUEL DAVIDSON. GEORGE A. BARBER.

In presenee of- R. 5. SM'ELLI'E, J. W. HORN. 

